Animal Attraction
by Blue Skies Rusty
Summary: Several passangers of a ship find themselves stranded on desert planet, among them is an escaped con and an experiment gone wrong. RiddickOC
1. Prologue

A/N: My brother bought Pitch Black, Dark Fury, COR, and the Riddick game and I was willingly forced (if that makes sense) to watch all of them. Now I'm obsessed and feel the need to write a fic. I'm horrible writer so read at your own risk.

Legal Crap: I own jack shit (where does that phrase come from?) so don't sue me… actually the character I own is mine. If you can't figure out which one she is then wow.

Warning: This fic contains a plethora of words which might be considered offensive, as you can tell from the disclaimer. Again, read at your own risk.

-.-.-.-

It was time. The plan would be put to action and she'd escape.

Her keen ears picked up the sound of an approaching guard. The rubber soles of his shoes squeaked slightly as he neared the door into her white room. It was now or never.

The loud howls, wails, and screams of pain filled the little white cell of a room. The guard's feet pounded down the hall and he stopped in front of the young woman's door. Looking through the window he saw her on the floor writhing in pain.

His card slipped through the lock on the door. A loud beep reached the girl's ears as she continued to writhe and howl. She was being so loud it wouldn't have been a surprise if the entire building heard her.

The guard knelt down beside her and frantically tried to find the problem. The girl kicked and screamed, thrashing her limbs around wildly. All it took was one deft movement.

Suddenly, she stopped screaming and howling, dropping the act completely. The guard's eyes widened as he looked at his gun and the girl holding it.

She jumped up, keeping the gun pointed at his head. For a moment the guard had a surge of fear but it subsided. He was the superior here. He was the one who knew how to work the weapon. This girl was just another one of many inhabitants of the building.

He smiled smugly. "Do you know how to work that thing," he asked the girl.

"Do you really want to find out." She raised an eyebrow at him, keeping the gun pointed directly at his head.

The man didn't say anything. It was possible that this girl did know how to fire the gun. If she did… well the picture wasn't a pretty one.

She walked behind the guard and hit him over head with the butt of the gun. He fell to the floor, unconscious, with a slightly bloody lump forming.

It only took a minute to get the card key and the girl was off again. She didn't care about the security cameras. It would only be a short amount of time until she reached her desired destination.

The sound of alarms and of men running and shouting filled her ears as she ran. The girl knew it wasn't going to be easy to escape but she had to do it. She _had_ to try.

There was a left turn coming up. _Shit_, she thought the moment she heard the armed guards. A million thoughts ran through her head at once. _Maybe I should have taken that moron as a hostage… No, what am I saying? They'd have shot him. _

The left turn got closer with every step she took. The girl sped up and was now running at top speed. It was inches away now and the guards had their guns ready.

Closing her eyes, the girl leapt into the air and dived across the opening. The guards caught sight of her and began to fire. Bullets hit the metal wall as the girl landed with a thud.

She had cleared it and landed unharmed. Without a moment's hesitation she was back on her feet and hurtling down the hall towards the elevator doors. Behind her the guards got into position and took aim.

With a _ping!_ the metal doors slid open. The girl got in just as the guards began to open fire again. She breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator began to move up, towards the planet's surface.

The elevator jolted to a stop at the floor she wanted. There was another _ping!_ and the doors slid open. The girl was about to step out and run down the hall but stopped short.

A man with greasy black hair and glasses covering his cold, dark eyes. The man wore a white lab coat and had his hands behind his back. He looked the girl up and down, a slight smile of superiority spread across his face. The very look of this arrogant man made the girl want to hurl. There were two guards behind him, each with a rather large gun.

"Why did you try to escape," the man in lab coat asked. "You know this is your home, Experiment Number 672."

The girl's yellow eyes flashed with resentment. "I thought maybe I'd take a little vacation. You know, go out and see the world before you decided to kill me off, _Doctor_." The last word was emphasized as she glared at the man.

His arrogant smile widened a little. "How do you expect to rejoin society? They would fear you, reject you." His dark eyes looked her over again. "You're not like normal people, 672. You belong here. Just imagine how people would react to your eyes and tail."

The girl snorted with laughter. "I wouldn't have that problem if it weren't for you, now would I?"

The doctor's smile faltered. "Don't be ungrateful. I gave you a gift," he said, his voice filled with anger. "I turned you from a normal girl into something magnificent."

"You took my life away," the girl shouted, her yellow eyes ablaze. "You took away my chance to do anything other than spend my life in a fucking white room wondering when the next experiment will come." She paused for a moment, he eyes boring into those of the doctor. Her voice was deathly calm when she said, "It's time you paid the price."

Before either of the guards knew what was happening, the girl had knocked the doctor to the floor with a swift kick. It took a second for her to shoot the first guard with the gun she had stolen in her room.

The second guard aimed at her but the girl was too quick. She dropped to the floor, the bullet whizzing over her head. Number 672 pulled the trigger on her own gun and watched as the guard fell to the floor.

Her yellow eyes turned to the doctor who lay on the floor. He was staring up at her, horror struck. This was not supposed to happen. His experiments weren't supposed to revolt. He wasn't supposed to die at the hands of one of his own creations.

The girl stood over the doctor, her eyes filled with an immense hatred. Slowly she raised the gun. "Goodbye Dr. Nash," she said without emotion.


	2. Cassidy

A/N: Terribly sorry about the rating mix-up but can you really blame me? I had been up since 5 AM writing and I was running late for school. If it weren't for a certain guy in one of my classes I'd be faking sick all the friggin' time… oh, right. The fic. Yeah…

Sorry Bant! I kinda got writer's block when it came to Tiger's Blue. Where in the hell am I supposed to take that?

-.-.-.-.-

The Hunter Gratzner held a little more than forty passengers. All of them were headed to the Tangier system for various reasons. Every single person on board was in a state of deep sleep thanks to the cryno chambers. At least it would seem like everyone was sleeping.

She was completely awake but her body was practically frozen. It had been three months since she escaped and killed Dr. Nash. Three long months of living on the streets of city, stealing to survive.

Life wasn't as bad as some would think. To her it was like heaven. She wasn't pent up in a room, she wasn't living off moldy food, and best of all, she was no longer an experiment.

Everyday she either stole money for what she needed or she'd just take it directly from the source. The young woman was never caught and even if she had been, she'd be able to use her cunning to get out of it.

The smells of the people surrounding her filled her nostrils, even through the thick glass of her little pod. With a bit of a struggle, she managed to open her yellow eyes which remained hidden behind a pair of sunglasses she had lifted.

From her cryno chamber she could see a few of the people she was traveling with. One was very young and looked like a very feminine boy. Or a masculine girl? She couldn't tell which. The next pod held a slightly older man with a receding hair line and glasses. After studying him for a moment she decided that the man looked like a real talker. The kind of guy who could sell ice to penguins.

The next to pods really caught her attention. The first held a man with sandy hair and a uniform. He was somewhat attractive but from experience, she didn't really trust men in uniforms.

The though came to mind that he might be a merc and she made a mental note to avoid him, after all, the reason she left the city was because she caught wind of some mercs on her tail. Mentally she laughed at the bad pun and then she thanked her stars for finding the trench coat she now wore.

Her eyes settled on the last pod. It was by far the most interesting and biggest. The man inside, from what she could see, was very muscular. She also couldn't help but notice that he blind folded, chained, and had bit in his mouth. Her eyes flickered from the massive man back to the one in uniform. _Could it be…?_

The young woman's thoughts were cut short. A few loud noises filled her ears and soon the Hunter Gratzner was shaking violently. _Well this blows._ As the skip continued to jostle her about she could hear two frantic voices from somewhere in the front of the ship.

Her limbs regained their use and she noticed the occupants of the other cryno chambers were awaking. Their eyes darted around as they tried to figure out was going on.

It all happened so fast. The young woman knew they had hit ground of some sort as the ship lurched. The pod with the girl-boy fell to the floor as did the big one. Her own pod remained in its proper place despite the continued rocking and lurching of the ship.

Everything came to a stop and she watched as the muscular broke the glass of his pod with ease. A slight smile played across her lips as he grabbed a gun from the man in uniform and took off. _This should be interesting_.

It didn't take long for everyone to get out of their little chambers. The man in uniform swore loudly and went in search for the muscular guy. Everyone regained their composure and for the first time the girl got a good look at everyone there.

She found a married couple. The woman with long dark curly hair and the man with very short dark hair. They both set to work getting the boy-girl out of the cryno chamber. The balding man with glasses looked around, accompanied by another man with three boys.

"Hello," said the balding man to the young girl whose odd traits still remained hidden. "Nice land we've had, eh?" He had a high class English accent and he stuck out his hand. "The name's Paris Ogilvie."

After a moment's hesitation the girl took it. "Cassidy. Cassidy O'Leary." Cassidy smiled at being able to use her name again.

In the distance she heard the sounds of a struggle and figured that the muscular guy and the uniformed one were duking it out. No one else heard the noises and Cassidy shrugged them off.

Soon she had learned the names of everyone. Shazza the woman and Zeeke, her husband. The boy-girl was actually a boy named Jack and the man with three boys was called Imam.

Loud shouts were heard and they all rushed to the source. They stopped when they saw a woman with a man. The man had a pole sticking out of his chest and the woman seemed somewhat panicky. Unfortunately, there was no medicine left to ease his passing.

The woman sent the passengers out of the remains of the ship.

Outside it was sickeningly hot. Cassidy looked around and her sank when she saw that they had crash-landed in the middle of a desert. _Shit. I hate the heat._

She was about to duck into the shade of the Hunter Gratzner when someone spoke to her. Behind her shades, Cassidy's yellow eyes landed on the guy in uniform.

"What your name," he asked casually. His blue eyes peered at her imploringly as she stared at him blankly.

"Why do you ask?" Still she stared at him blankly. If he was a merc she didn't want to give anything away.

He shrugged. "Just asking. My name's Johns." Cassidy rose an eyebrow. "William. But everyone calls me Johns."

Cassidy nodded slowly. "Cassidy," she said reluctantly.

She turned to head back into the shade but Johns was there again. "You seem familiar somehow." He looked down at the short girl.

"Can't say the same for you. Sorry." Again Cassidy tried to move around but she stopped when she felt something cold and metal clasp around her wrists.

"Now I remember," Johns said in her ear. "You're the one with a payday on your head."

Johns led her back into the ship. She twisted her hand in a feeble attempt to remove them from the restraints. With a sigh she stepped inside to see the muscular. He was cuffed with his hands behind him and wrapped around a pole while his feet were chained to the ground. He still wore a bit and blindfold.

"So," said Cassidy lightly as she settled herself down atop a cryno chamber and wrapping her arms behind her and around the pole for Johns. "What are they offering for my safe return?"

Johns raised an eyebrow as he locked the restraints. "1.5 million U.D." At this the muscular man turned his head slightly, Cassidy could feel him move on the opposite side of the pole. "Imagine that. A private party paying as much for you as Company is for Riddick here." Johns gestured to the muscular man.

"Well what can I say? I'm loved everywhere," Cassidy's voice was filled with mock arrogance. "What's Company paying?"

Johns shrugged. 'Less." He began to walk away before turning to his two prisoners. "Play nice," he said before leaving."

"Prick," Cassidy mumbled. Again she felt the man behind her move slightly. Her yellow eyes began to scan the dim room for an escape but she could hardly see with her shades on.

After a few tosses of her head, the sunglasses fell to the floor and Cassidy was able to see. She looked around the room and sucked her teeth as she thought. There had to be some way to get out of the mess. Living in the desert would be better than going back.

"Aha," she breathed as she looked to the top of the pole. There was a crack in it just big enough for her to slip the restraints through.

Standing up on top of the cryno chamber, Cassidy looked back up to the top. The crack was just a few feet out of her reach. She cursed her height as she tried to figure this little obstacle out.

Cassidy gripped the restraints firmly and placed one foot on the pole. She heard the muscular man called Riddick shift again and she knew he was watching her as best he could. Ignoring her audience, Cassidy put her other foot on the pole and leaned forward.

She winced at the pain the strain on her shoulders caused. Slowly she began to shuffle her feet up the pole, he teeth grit against the pain. The clasps on her wrists were digging into her flesh and causing her more pain but she ignored it. A few more inches was all it took.

Cassidy managed to slip the restraints through the gap. As soon as her support was taken away she began to fall towards the cryno chamber she had been sitting on. With just seconds to spare Cassidy had managed to get her feet under and landed in a crouch.

Escape was so much. It should be considered a sport.


	3. A First

A/N: Okay ladies and gents, I promise I'll start proof reading again so you don't have see all my idiotic mistakes again. I squirm when I read my own work. I'm always thinking, "Ugh! God why did I put that in there!?" or "Eee! I'm such a moron!!" Hope beating myself over it is helping.

Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you guys!

-.-.-.-.- (Can you tell that the bars aren't working for some stupid reason)

The blowtorch cut through Cassidy's restraints, freeing her. She turned to Riddick who she had the feeling was watching her despite the blindfold. She knelt down in front of him and set to work getting him out of his many restraints.

It took about five minutes to free Riddick who stood up slowly. He had to be at least six feet tall, and towered over Cassidy. His large hands reached up and pulled the blindfold off.

Cassidy was captivated by his eyes. They were very dark and flashed silver in the light. In a word, they were amazing.

She tore her yellow eyes awayand grabbed her shades, putting them on. When she turned back to Riddick she saw him pulling on a pair of black welding goggles before he took his bit out.

Everything was quiet in the desert when Cassidy looked about. The other survivors were out of sight. Riddick walked past her and headed in a direction. Cassidy watched as he left his bit before turning and walking in the opposite direction.

For a moment she washesitant about what she should do. She could follow him but would he let her? Cassidy bit her lip as she thought and finally gave a sigh. Following him would be better than staying.

She walked behind Riddick, both of them silently trudging along through the desert. The sun was beating down on them and when Cassidy looked up she notice that there wasn't just one sun. There were three. She shook her head and continued to follow the escaped con.

It was about noon for the middle sun when Riddick and Cassidy came across a valley. They looked down into it to see that there wereenormous skeletons of giant elephant-like beasts. The bones stretched as farCassidy could see and she felt a slight chill at the thought of how so many large beasts could drop like that.

Riddick walked down the slope and began to wander around the graveyard. Cassidy stayed close but not too close. She plopped tiredly into the shade under one of the many bone structures.

"We'll need water," she said as Riddick walked by, looking at something. "Unless you were planning on dehydrating out here."

He sat down next to her in the shade but didn't look at her. "What's your name," he demanded in a deep rumbling voice.

Cassidy turned to him with a wry smile. "Which one? I have several." Riddick raised an eyebrow but still didn't turn to look at Cassidy. She sighed and said, "My birth name is Cassidy O'Leary. My nickname is Cassie. Back on Trebulon I was called Foxy or any various names used by hecklers." She paused with a moment of thought before she continued. "Of course my favorite would have to be Experiment 672."

At this Riddick turned to her. He remembered seeing her yellow eyes in the dim ship. There was only one answer for that. "Genetic testing?"

Cassidy gave a nod and took off her trench coat. A long reddish-brown tail with a white tip gave a few twitches. The fur was thick and fluffy and if anyone were to touch it they'd find it to be as soft as silk.

She reached up and pulled off her sunglasses, looking at Riddick. Her eyes were a little wider than most peoples' and were yellow with huge black pupils. They strongly resembled an owl's eyes.

"I take it the scientists are the ones paying 1.5 mill for you," he said turning back to look out at a nearby skeleton.

"Considering I've only ever killed three people," said Cassidy as she slipped her shades back on. "I doubt anyone else would be offering that much."

"Who did you kill?"

She paused for a moment as she thought back to three months ago. "Two guards and a scientist. It would have been one if the guards hadn't been there." Cassidy shook her head. "Dr. Nash," she murmured before letting out a small sadistic laugh. "What an asshole he was."

Riddick's eyes still wouldn't look at Cassidy. "How did you end up with him?" His deep voice filled the air.

Her eyes darkened as she thought back to her childhood. "My raging alcoholic of a father sold me to Genetitech for beer money." Cassidy's voice was calm and offhanded but there was an under lying hatred to it.

A long silence fell between Riddick and Cassidy as they satin the shade. The longer they sat the more Cassidy thought. _I wish he'd talk again, this kinda blows. He has a very sexy voice… No! Don't go there… He has a nice body too… Gah! Stop!!_

Something could be heard in the distance and it pulled Cassidy out of her thoughts. "Did you hear that," she asked Riddick as she scrambled to her feet. "Someone's just outside of the valley."

"How do you know," demanded Riddick as he stood up and began to scan the landscape.

Cassidy turned to him. "Foxes have excellent hearing," she said while wiggling her tail a bit.

Riddick's eyes looked her over from behind his black goggles. He took in the sight of Cassidy's long reddish-brown hair. It was tugged at gently by the wind. She was very short, maybe 5'5" give or take a few. Despite her height she was lean, strong looking. Cassidy seemed like the kind of girl who could hold her own. Finally Riddick came to the conclusion that she was semi-attractive, absolutely gorgeous compared to the women he had met in the past few years.

"I think they've sent a search party," Cassidy said, pulling Riddick out of his thoughts. "They're over there," she pointed. "And coming closer."

Riddick began to move away in the direction Cassidy had indicated. "Stay here," he grumbled over his shoulder.

She watched the muscular man as he walked away. He was extremely tall with a shaved head and broad chest. Cassidy tilted her head to one side as she watched him. The way Riddick moved had something to it. He was graceful, almost predatory. _He's like an animal_, she thought with a smile.

It didn't take long for Riddick to return. He seemed slightly agitated as he approached her and Cassidy quickly got up from where she had been lounging in the shade.

"Well," she asked expectantly as he walked by, looking at the skeletal structures.

He stopped and looked at Cassidy. "Stay out of sight," was all he said before walking away. Riddick's voice had been forceful and dangerous when he spoke and Cassidy didn't have to be told twice.

The young woman climbed up the backbone of one of the skeletons. She carefully walked across the top, her tail sticking out to help her balance. Finally, with a sigh, Cassidy reached on of the tree shaped bones sticking out of the spinal cord. She knew if anyone looked up from the groundthey would be blinded by the sun and she'd blend in with the bones.

Six people wandered into the valley and with her sharp owl eyes she could see that it was Johns, Carolyn, and Imam with his three boys. Cassidy watched as they all made their waywarily through the graveyard. Johns was being the most cautious. He was checking every possible hiding spot that he came by, gun at the ready. Cassidy almost laughed at how idiotic he looked doing it.

She happened to notice Carolyn stop to rest next tothe rib cage of one of the many skeletons. Cassidy saw Johns approaching while something moved in the shadows.

Johns and Carolyn talked for a bit, Cassidy looking on with amusement. Riddick was moving around in the shadows behind Carolyn, in plain sight of Johns. _How can they _not_ notice him? Is he really that stealthy?_

Riddick made a quick movement before he disappeared completely in the shadows. Johns put his hat on Carolyn and the two of them walked off together, neither one of them ever suspecting that an escaped convict had listened to every word of the conversation.

Cassidy laughed as she rejoined Riddick fifteen minutes later. The man's face was emotionless but she could tell that he was wondering what she found funny. "How could they not realize you were there the entire time," she asked after her laughing fit subsided

He only shrugged in response but Cassidy's smile never faded. "I was hiding up near one of those tree-like bones. Saw the whole thing." She paused for a moment then asked, "What were they talking about?"

The eyes hidden behind his black goggles stared into her sunglasses. "Nothing important," his deep voice said gruffly.

Cassidy nodded, respecting Riddick's decision not to say anything. She turned her head in the direction that the six people had gone. "So, what's the game plan?"

This was a first for Riddick. He didn't usually take people with him so he was never asked what was to come next. However, Cassidy was different, she was every bit as animalistic as he was. There was something else too. Cassidy didn't give off the scent of fear when she wasaround him. Unlike many of the people that Riddick had encountered, Cassidy was one of the few who wasn't afraid of him.

"We go back to the ship," he stated simply before walking away. With a shrug Cassidy followed him.

-.-.-.-

This one was a litte short for my taste but oh well. Hope you enjoy it!


	4. Right Hook

A/N: Its going to be really hard to type with my cat on my lap. I love my kitty but he has a thing for putting his paws/head in my cleav… uh never mind.

Thanks again to all of those who've reviewed. You guys are awesome.

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Cassidy and Riddick were hidden from view, crouched behind the ship. Paris sat in a chair under an umbrella, watching as Zeke did all the grunt work. The strong smell of alcohol drifted to Cassidy's nose and she grimaced. Ever since her childhood she had something against booze and the people who drink it, her father in particular.

"Just watch my back, yeah," Zeke was saying in his heavy Australian accent. "I don't want that dog sneaking up on me."

"That was you he was talking about," Riddick uttered to Cassidy.

Twitching her fox tail a bit she glared up at the muscular man. "I'm a fox not a dog," she hissed back.

Cassidy heard Paris say something in that annoyingly "witty" tone he always seemed to use. Zeke could be heard walking away and Cassidy caught the sound of a third person.

She clapped a hand over her mouth to try to stifle the laughter as Jack took Paris by surprise. The older man said some nasty comment sent Jack off. Cassidy dropped to her knees and shook with silent laughter at the thought of Paris' face. She was trying so hard to keep her fit under control that she hadn't noticed Riddick walking away from her.

A few minutes passed and Cassidy finally stood up, wiping her tears of laughter from her yellow eyes. Her nose gave a slight twitch as she picked up Riddick's scent and that of the alcohol Paris had been drinking.

Cassidy found Riddick lounging Paris' chair, drinking his booze. She meandered over and sat in front of him, just outside of the umbrella's shade. Her large yellow eyes swept across the desert which was tinted by her sunglasses. Cassidy's eyes fell on Shazza, Zeke, Jack, and Paris who all stood over a corpse.

"Did they think that guy was you or something," she asked, her eyes not leaving the scene.

Riddick swalloweda mouthful of brandy. "Probably," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

Cassidy thought for a moment. "Johns must have told them some really awful stuff about you."

"Are you implying that I'm not an awful person?" He put the bottle down.

Slowly she turned her wide yellow eyes to Riddick. "I was under the impression that you only kill out of necessity."

"And what gave you that impression," Riddick asked as he leaned back in the chair, fingertips together.

A smile played across the young girl's face and she said, "You spared me when you could have easily killed me."

It was Riddick's turn to smile a devilish half-smile. "How do you know I'm not going to take advantage of you and then kill you?"

Cassidy's smile grew. "You're not the type," she said as she turned back to look out across the desert.

It happened in a flash. Riddick pulled out a shiv he had made in the bone yard and with one swift movement the sharp bone was pressed against Cassidy's throat.

Their bodies were pressed close together, Cassidy's red-brownhair in his face. "I could kill you right now," his deep voice whispered in her ear. Before he could stop himself he was breathing in lungful after lungfulof her scent. It was an essence so animalistic and beautiful it almost made him dizzy.

Riddick felt Cassidy's entire body shake with her hearty laugh. "Are you done messing around, yet," she gently pushed his hand away while she asked. For a moment she had contemplated egging him on or maybe even putting on her sexy voice but both of those could lead to very bad things.

For a moment Riddick was surprised that he couldn't sense her fear and that she had laughed and pushed his hand away. This girl was absolutely… well she was something alright. He put his shiv away and stepped back after one more sniff of her hair.

There was a minute of silence between the two of them as they sat there, watching Shazza, Zeke, Paris, and Jack all load the dead body onto a large scrap of metal. Cassidy sucked her teeth as she thought, something she did often.

"Riddick," she finally said. She really wanted to ask him but at the same time she didn't want to sound ungrateful. "I was just wondering… why did you let me tag along?"

For a long time Riddick didn't answer her. How could he when he didn't know the answer? At the time he figured he owed her for helping him escape, even if he could have done it on his own, and even though he would never admit that he was indebted. Now that he thought about it, he kind of enjoyed the company of someone who didn't fear him and was as much an animal as himself

Through his black goggles he could see Cassidy's yellow eyes watching him from behind her sunglasses. He gave an offhanded shrug before turning his gaze to the people below them.

"We better go," his deep voice rumbled. Without another word Riddick stood up and Cassidy followed him, not pushing the matter. They headed in pretty much the same direction as Zeke, neither one of themsaid anything.

They reached an area with large stone pillars and once again Riddick walked around, looking at things while Cassidy strayed off a bit, keeping a respectful distance. She was admiring the shadows the stones made when the sun beat down on them and she was beginning to wish she could take a photo of it, like the people of Earth used to do.

Suddenly sheflinched as a shot rang through the air. A few more followed the first, accompanied by the shouts of a man. Cassidy didn't waste a minute in running towards the noise.

Cassidy reached a hole where Zeke had been burying all the dead bodies from the crash. The coppery smell of blood filled her nose, strong and pungent. The ditch had human blood splattered all over it but there were no bodies to be found. There was nothing except another small hole at the bottom of the ditch.

After the split second it took her to survey the ditch, Cassidy looked up. Shazza was staring in horror at Riddick who crouched over the ditch, knife in hand. Slowly, Riddick stood up, turned, and then ran.

Cassidy took off after him, Shazza and some others that Cassidy hadn't seen were on her tail. In front of her Riddick's feet thundered across the sandy ground, carrying him quickly away. _Well at least I don't have to worry about him not being able to outrun them. _Cassidy thought as she slowly began to catch up. Her thoughts were shattered when Riddick tripped, falling to the ground face first.

Johns stepped out from behind a rock, his nightstick in hand. He promptly began to beat Riddick who fought back against the merc. Johns managed to pull off Riddick's goggles, knowing the escaped convict's weakness was his eyes.

Cassidy jumped on Johns' back and put him in a sleeper hold. The man struggled against her while Riddick got up, trying to block the suns' light from his sensitive, silvereyes. Johns hit Cassidy over the head with his nightstick in an attempt to get her off. She winced as pain shot through her skull but she tightened her grip on Johns, refusing to let him go until he passed out.

Unexpectedly, Johns flipped Cassidyover his shoulder and she landed in the soft sand. With a loud growl and a lash of her fluffy tail she pulled herself up into a crouch. Cassidy bared her teeth at Johns who was holding his nightstick in one hand and Riddick's goggles in the other.

Shazza and the others approached, distracting John's slightly. Cassidy took this as her chance. She threw herself at Johns and landed a right hook right in the side of his face. Johns staggered backwards slightly, holding his face and staring at Cassidy with shock.

"Let me at him," Shazza screamed as she fought to get to Riddick. "I'll kill him!"

Cassidy turned her wide yellow eyes from Johns to Shazza. She watched as the woman's foot kicked out and collided with the side of Riddick's head. The muscular man lay unconscious in the sand.

With a growl, Cassidy stood up to try to defend herself and the now helpless Riddick. Her attention was focused on Shazza who was being retained by Fry. She would never hurt them unless she had to and she most certainly wouldn't kill them but she had to try to help Riddick.

Once again pain shot through Cassidy's head but this time it was worse. She let out a howl as she dropped to her knees. Her vision quickly blurred and numbness spread through her body. Cassidy's last thought as she fell unconscious next to Riddick was, _SHIT!_


	5. Waking Up

A/N: Holy Bob! I was just about to start writing this chapter when Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters came on the radio. I'm going to go deaf now that the volume is up pretty much all the way. "An invisible man sleepin' in your bed" what wouldsex be like with someone who's invisible? Hmm... this is totally irrelevent.

Thanks again to all of my reviewers! 11 reviews and only four chapters, that's a new record for me. THANK YOU!!!

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When he awoke, Riddick found he was sitting down with his arms chained up. His goggles had been removed and he squinted as some sunlight flood into the dim room through a hole in the ceiling. For a moment he forgot where he was but then remembered the Hunter Gratzner crashed and he had been knocked out thanks to a swift kick to the head.

After a moment's thought he decided that Johns must have taken him back to the wrecked ship and tied him up. What else had happened? Riddick's head swam momentarily while he recalled everything that happened after he found the bloody hole.

He remembered being tripped by Johns and having a struggle with him. Riddick also remembered his goggles being pulled off and being temporarily blinded by the brilliant suns. Everything after that was a little vague but he definitely remembered there being some struggling going on around him while he tried to find his goggles again.

Riddick's thoughts were cut short when he heard someone approach. His black and silver eyes looked up and into the dim room. He clearly saw Johns approaching, gun in hand.

"Tell me what happened," the merc demanded when he stopped just feet in front of Riddick.

"What happened when I was back at Butcher Bay," Riddick asked in return. "Johns if you can't remember than you must be losing your mind."

Johns scowled at the muscular man. "Don't be a wise ass. What happened to the free settler?"

Riddick shrugged and said, "I heard noises." His silver eyes never left Johns, they stared at him unnervingly. "Johns," Riddick said with a wicked smile. "What happened to your face?" He indicated the bruise on Johns' cheek. "Get into a fight you couldn't handle?"

If looks could kill then Riddick would have died a thousand deaths. Without a word Johns gestured with his gun. Riddick's eyes turned to see what lay next to him. He stared and Johns walked away, leaving him in shock.

Riddick studied Cassidy who lay unconscious, her head resting against his knee. How could he have overlooked the fact that a beautiful young woman was using him as a pillow? Her auburn hair tumbled over his leg and he admired the way it shone in the small patches of sunlight.

Cassidy, he noticed, had also been chained. One of her arms was stretched upward and fastened to one of Riddick's restraints. Her other arm rested on the floor, the chain attached to a nearby support beam.

She looked so vulnerable, so defenseless in her unconscious state. A small smile pulled at the corners of Riddick's mouth. He knew that this seemingly helpless creature had given Johns that bruise, Cassidy really could hold her own. Riddick felt a rising anger towards Johns. How could anyone harm a woman, much less one as beautiful and captivating as Cassidy? Oh, how that merc bastard would pay.

* * *

Shouts could be heard but they were so far off and distant it seemed as though she had imagined them. Slowly they got louder, penetrating the thick layers of sleep and bringing Cassidy back from the realm of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, along with her hearing, her sense of feeling returned as well.

A slight groan escaped her lips when she felt the throbbing pain in the back of her head. "Fuckin' a," she uttered as she squeezed her eyes tight. She tried to reach a hand to the back of her head to feel for blood but it stopped half way.

Cassidy froze. _Okay, something isn't right here._ Awareness hit her like a ton of bricks but she kept her eyes shut. _Hurting head… ow! Cold metal around wrists, arms not moving, slight clinking sound when I try… Okay so I'm obviously chained. Damn! This really is not good for the whole escape thing. _

Her ears strained to pick up the slightest noise. There were people arguing somewhere but they were too far for Cassidy to hear anything other than their angry shouts. She focused on her immediate surroundings and she realized she wasn't alone.

Finally, her yellow eyes opened and they quickly skimmed over the dim innards of the crashed ship. _Now I know where I am, _she thought. _But who is with me…?_

Her head turned slowly to the side to see who was behind her. Her eyes traveled up the leg her head was resting on. It led to a muscular torso with a broad chest. Two massive arms were stretched out tothe sides and were chained. Finally Cassidy made eye contact with two silvery black orbs.

For a long moment the two stared at each other in silence. Cassidy found herself oddly mesmerized by Riddick's eyes. She gave herself a mental shake before she could down in them completely.

"What the fuck happened," she asked, her voice a little raspy and dry.

"Apparently Johns doesn't like it when he gets beaten by a girl." Cassidy could have sworn she saw Riddick's lips twitch as he tried not to smile.

"Yeah, I figured that's why I feel like my head was stepped on by a Fragdarian Giant." Cassidy referred to the ten foot tall inhabitants of the planet Fragdet who would just as soon use you for one of their fair games as give you the time of day. "How much damage did I do to his pretty face?"

This time Riddick did smile. "Enough to make him hold a grudge. Nothing permanent but I don't think he'll forget it anytime soon."

Cassidy gave a nod and began to look around the room again. "Any chance of escape," she asked while beginning to work the chains that bonded her to Riddick.

She froze when Riddick's hand closed over hers. Cassidy's owlish eyes looked at their hands for a moment before she looked to Riddick's face. His silvery eyes were staring at her unblinkingly.

"Who said," Riddick said quietly in his deep voice. "That I want to escape?" His grip on her hand tightened slightly but not too much. His eyes never left Cassidy's and they seemed to pull her in until she was like a deer caught in the headlights. "I kind of like where I am at the moment."

As Riddick finished his sentence, Cassidy became aware that her head was still resting against his muscular leg. It took every bit of her self control to keep herself from turning red.

Cassidy felt her heart speed up as if she had just drunk an entire keg of coffee. "Riddick…" she uttered before her voice trailed off. She felt him give her hand a little squeeze and her heart skipped a beat in its furious drumming.

Suddenly Riddick dropped Cassidy's and his eyes went icy cold as he looked away into the darkness. He left Cassidy momentarily flabbergasted. She blinked a few times in her confusion before her senses came back to her and she knew why he was staring into the darkness.

Her keen ears picked up the sound of someone approaching the entrance. The footsteps were light, those of a female and they were coming fast. Cassidy's owl eyes pierced the darkness and she saw Carolyn Fry enter and head angrily towards them. Beside her, Cassidy could feel Riddick look down and she closed her eyes partially, hiding them behind her eyelids.

Carolyn stopped in front of them and irately said, "What happened to Zeke?" The question was directed to Riddick and it was obvious that Carolyn thought Cassidy was still unconscious.

Neither of the chained prisoners said anything and this seemed to anger Carolyn more. "You told Johns you heard noises." Still no answer. "Well just so you know there's a debate right now on whether or not you should live," she said before turning on her heel and storming off.

Once Fry had left, Riddick spoke to Cassidy. "Did you hear that, Foxy? They're trying to decide if they want to kill you or not."

Her yellow eyes opened again and she turned them back to Riddick. "I think she was implying _you're_ the one they want to kill. Actually, she could have meant both of us. I did after all, attack Johns and he's obviously manipulating them."

"He won't let us die," Riddick said calmly. "He wouldn't want to miss the payday."

Cassidy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true," she said before pausing. "Do you really want to get turned in?"

Riddick shrugged. "Its not that hard to get out of a slam."

A sad smile spread across Cassidy's face. "Yeah, but it isn't so easy to escape from a bunch of mad scientists. Especially not when they have you strapped down on a cold slab of metal."

He looked to Cassidy and opened his mouth to say something but he never got the chance. Carolyn and Johns walked into the room at that moment, Johns carried his gun.

Riddick's dark eyes turned to the merc and he asked, "Back so soon?"

"Tell me what happened, Riddick," spat Johns angrily. Riddick gave no answer, he only smirked. Johns gave a small growl of frustration as he raised his weapon, aiming it at Riddick. "What happened?"

The muscular man gave a sadistic chuckle at Johns. "Go ahead," he said, still laughing.

Johns glared at Riddick, his eyes full of pure hatred. "No?" Suddenly he turned the gun to Cassidy and asked, "How about now?"

Riddick fell silent and he met Johns' gaze. "I don't see why you would do something like that," his voice was emotionless as he spoke. "She means nothing to me."

It was Johns' turn to laugh. "Right, and that's why you haven't killed her yet."

Riddick glowered and looked like he was about to kill Johns. Cassidy calmly looked from Johns, to his gun, to the livid expression on Riddick's face. She was certain the escaped con would tear his chains apart and attack Johns.

"Just tell us what happened to Zeke," Carolyn finally said and Cassidy was grateful she did.

Riddick's eyes left Johns and landed on the woman. "It ain't me you have to worry about," he said simply.

"Then what happened to his body?" Cassidy could hear a tinge of panic Carolyn's voice.

"Did you check the hole," Riddick said in a bored tone.

Carolyn exchanged looks with Johns. The merc turned back to Cassidy and surprisingly removed her restraints. Everyone including Riddick looked at him with surprise.

Johns roughly grabbed Cassidy's arm and pulled her up to her feet. "You're going to check down that rabbit hole, fox-girl."


	6. Down the Rabbit Hole

The three brilliant suns beat down on Cassidy as she bitterly made her way across the desert. Jack, Carolyn, Imam, and Johns all followed behind her, Johns with his gun at the ready just in case she "tried anything." She turned her face up to the sky and scowled at the suns. It was bad enough to have one sun making things very hot but to have two more was absolute torture.

"Keep moving," ordered Johns from behind her. With a sigh Cassidy obeyed.

It took about fifteen minutes to get from the ship to where Zeke had died. Cassidy was thanking her stars it didn't take longer. She hadn't had anything to drink since the crash and she was beginning to feel a little dehydrated, not to mention rather irritable in the sticky heat.

She stopped a few feet from the ditch, the others crowding around her. For a long moment they all looked down at the blood streaked dirt and the small hole that led, presumably, deeper under the ground.

"Well," Johns prodded. "What are you waiting for? Get down there."

Cassidy rolled her eyes before jumping into the ditch. She landed gracefully in the soft dirt. The strong coppery smell filled her nostrils and she grimaced.

Crouching down, Cassidy examined the dirt for any clues. "There was a struggle," she called up to the others."

"Tell us something we don't know," Johns snapped.

Cassidy turned her yellow eyes to him and blinked slowly. "Its hard to tell but it looks like it was man verses some sort of animal." She thought for a moment. "Check around the edges for handprints."

There was some scuffling around as the others reluctantly did as she had asked. Finally they all stopped and Cassidy looked up at them expectantly.

"There're a bunch over here," Jack said from one side of the grave.

"The ships that way." Cassidy was too short to see over the edge of the hole she stood in but her sense of direction was amazing. "Those were probably made by Zeke when he was getting in and out. Are there any where Riddick was found?"

Carolyn looked down at her feet. "No. There's nothing here."

Cassidy nodded before turning her eyes back to Johns. "Well there's your proof. Riddick didn't do it."

"Bullshit," Johns spat. "Go down that little hole and find the body. _I'll_ decide if the asshole did it or not."

She opened her mouth to say something about how Johns was the only asshole she knew but she quickly closed it. Her yellow eyes turned to the hole within the hole.

A feeling of foreboding filled her as she neared the small opening. Cassidy crouched down and cautiously peered into the black void. The hole was deep and her owl eyes could only see so far. She gave the air a sniff.

Cassidy's eyes widened and she quickly pulled away from the hole. She retreated to the opposite end of the ditch. She was filled with alarm at the strong scent of whatever it was that was down the hole.

"Pull me up," she called, fear evident in her voice.

Johns crouched down and said, "No." Cassidy's yellow eyes widened to the size of small saucers. "You're going down that hole."

"Fuck you, no!" Cassidy tried to scramble out but she was just too short. "Damn it! Johns pull me up," she screamed. Cassidy was getting desperate, she did _not _want to get a close up of whatever was in the hole, smelling it was enough to induce fear.

The gun was cocked and Johns pointed it at Cassidy. "You'll go down that hole if you want to live," he said calmly.

Cassidy looked from him to the hole and back again. "Then you better fucking shoot me because there is no way in hell I am going down there!"

Johns glared at her for a moment, thinking of what would get her down the hole. Finally it came to him. "Well," he said standing up and shouldering his gun. "I don't want to shoot a pretty little head like yours so, I guess I'll have to settle for someone else's." Cassidy's eyes narrowed at him. "Hmm.. I think Riddick might do."

"You wouldn't kill him. He's worth too much." This statement earned puzzled looks from Jack, Imam, and Carolyn but Cassidy ignored them.

He crouched down again and hissed so only Cassidy would hear him. "I would easily settle for the payday on either one of your heads. Its just a bonus to have both of you."

Cassidy gave Johns a withering look. She was trapped. If she went down that hole she would surely die at the hands of whatever predator was down there. If she decided to stay then Johns would definitely shoot Riddick and for some reason that thought made Cassidy shudder. It was obvious that Johns wouldn't think twice about throwing one of their lives away.

"You're a fucking prick," Cassidy growled lowly, her fox tail giving a violent twitch.

She turned back to the little hole and swallowed her fear. Cautiously, Cassidy crossed the blood stained grave and crouched in front of it. The smell of the inhabitants reached her nose again and she recoiled slightly. Glancing over he shoulder she saw Johns standing with a triumphant smirk on his face. Oh, how she'd love to know all of his teeth out.

Cassidy's ears strained for any sound from within the hole. Nothing.

Going against every animalistic instinct she had, all of which were screaming at her turn back and get as far from the hole as possible, she slipped into the darkness. The white tip of her tail was the last thing to linger in the warm sunlight.

Her pupils grew, allowing her to see every last pebble as clearly as if it were day. As she crawled down the cool tunnel she usedher owl and fox hearing to listen for the slightest of noises. Everything was eerily quiet and Cassidy's anxiety grew with every inch she took towards the bowels of the desert plant.

The small tunnel opened up into a large cave and Cassidy was able to stand up again. She dusted the dirt off her elbows and took a look around. Patches of light shone into the cavern through more tunnels. Anything that the light didn't touch was left in complete darkness. A small rock formation made a natural stepladder up to one of the tunnels.

Cassidy quickly covered her nose as the horrible smell of death and decay washed over her. It was accompanied by the familiar scent of human blood and the combination of it made her stomach lurch.

Scanning the cave with hernight vision, Cassidy looked for signs of anything living but nothing moved. Her yellow eyesstopped and she stared, mouth open, at what she had been sent to find.

Zeke's ankle was all that remained. It was bloody and the bone stuck out, the mere sight of it made Cassidy's stomach knot up.

The little hairs on the back of her neck prickled and Cassidy's instinctive alarm bells were going off, full force. _Oh, shit! _she thought as she heard something move behind her. Cassidy dropped to a crouch and frantically scanned the room forthe predator she knew was there.

Nothing could be seen anywhere. If there was something waiting to kill her, which she knew there was, it was blending in perfectly with the stone walls.

Something made a noise to her right. Cassidy's eyes darted in the direction. Nothing again. _Oh, fuck! I have _got_ to get out of here._

The stone in the middle of the cave was bathed in light. It was her only hope of getting out alive and it was several feet away. Something moved behind her, causing her to gasp.

With a deep, steadying breath, Cassidy launched herself forward and began to sprint. As her short legs carried her swiftly across the cavern she heard several somethings move around behind her.

She reached the rock in one piece and began to scramble up it. Her hands scraped against the hard, jagged surface, peeling away little bits of her flesh. Cassidy didn't even notice, she was too intent on getting the hell out of there.

The top of the rock was inches away, she would live if she could just make those last few inches. Her owlish eyes caught movement to her left. Cassidy turned to see something large flying straight for her.

Without a moment's hesitation Cassidy pressed herself flat against the rock. Her reddish hair was blown about by the rush of airfollowingthe beast.

Once she was sure it had gone, Cassidy continued to clamber up the last few inches of rock. She had pulled herself up into the light of the tunnel, her hands and feet pressed against the walls for support. She felt a little relief. She was going to make it.

Cassidy opened her mouth to shout for help but a loud, piercingscream made its way past her lips.

Something had just bitten her tail. The pain was unbearable and she could feel herself beginning to slip.

* * *

Phew! My achy hands need a little rest from typing. MWHAHAHA!!! 


	7. Promises

A/N: Two! Four! Six! Eight! Who do I appreciate? Reviewers! Reviewers! Goooo reviewers!!! Okay so I'm a cheerleader, at least I try to express my gratitude to my wonderful reviewers. Thanks Again!

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Teeth clenched, Cassidy pressed her sore palms against the tunnel wall. Whatever was biting her tail wasn't letting up and the pain was unfathomable. It was trying to pull her back into the hole but some animal instinct, some will to survive rang in her ears, telling her to fight.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She pressed herhands and feetagainst the rock wall of the tunnel and braced herself. Cassidy took a few deep breaths to help prepare herself for the onslaught of pain.

Cassidy began to haul herself up the tunnel, the beast in tow. Whatever it was tried to hold her back and Cassidy suck in air through her gritted teeth, the pain intensified.

The beast that lay in the darkness gave a hard tug and Cassidy's hands slipped over the rocks again. She gave another earsplitting howl as the pain coursed through her body.

"You son of a bitch," she screamed. Again she tried to pull herself up, ignoring the pain. It felt as though her tail was going to be ripped off at any moment but Cassidy kept working anyway. She hoisted herself up a little further, bringing herself futher into the light.

A high pitched shriek filled the air and Cassidy winced. She had to resist the urge to cover her sensitive ears. If she lost her grip on the rocks she would fall back into the pit, to her death.

When the siren-like wail finally stopped, Cassidy realized there was nothing holding her tail anymore. With a shaky sigh she quickly climbed up the hole to the little shaft of sunlight.

A little way above her, the rock crumbled and two hands reached in. Cassidy grabbed them and was pulled out of the tunnel. The blue sky surrounded her and the three suns warmed her body. Cassidy took deep breaths of the fresh air.

"What happened," someone asked her as she lay on the hot sand. "Tell me what happened." It was Johns, demanding things as usual.

"I… found Ze… Zeke's ankle," Cassidy managed to say between gasps for air. "No idea… what the fuck… they were." Her face contorted into a pained expression as she regained some of her senses.

Cassidy looked over her shoulder to see her tail. Her eyes were met with a bloody mess. Her red-brown fur was completely covered in thick dark red blood. The blood slowly beaded at her once white tip before falling into the hot sand. Cassidy groaned in exasperation.

"Holy shit," someone said to her right. "Cassidy, what happened?"

Cassidy sighed and shook her head. "There's something down there," she said as she tried to calm herself. "Whatever the fuck it was got Zeke and tried to fucking eat me." She turned her yellow eyes to Johns. "Looks like you've got your bonus afterall."

The small party made it back to the ship where Shazza bandaged Cassidy's tail. The blood flow had stopped but it would take a while for the deep wounds to heal.

Johns had disappeared into the ship while the others sat around outside. Most of them threw Cassidy glances, hoping to hear the full story. To their great disappointment the young girl sat quietly, absorbed in her thoughts.

* * *

Inside the ruined Hunter Gratzner Johns approached the chained Riddick. The muscular man looked up when he heard Johns enter. His silver eyes flashed and he stood up.

"What happened," he growled at the man in uniform. While Riddick waited in the haul of the ship he had the distinct feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Here's the deal." Johns saidignoring his question completely. You work for me. No shivs, no guns, no killing. You do what I say, when I say it."

Riddick sat down again and leaned back. "Found something you can't handle? Was it a ten year old girl this time?"

In a flash Johns had raised his gun and fired a single shot in Riddick's direction. Riddick had moved his head to the side just in time and his chains had broken. He let his freed arms fall.

"I want you to remember how this went," said Johns icily. "And I want you to remember how it could have gone." He offered Riddick his goggles.

With one deft movement Riddick had grabbed Johns' weapon and now held him at gunpoint. His deep voice rumbled as he said, "I want you to remember this moment, Johns. How it went and how it could have gone."

Riddick dropped the gun and took his goggles. He pushed past Johns and headed into the bright desert. Riddick wanted to know something and he wanted to know right then and there. His eyes scanned the group of survivors before falling one in particular. He strode over to Cassidy.

* * *

"What happened," a deep voice rumbled.

Cassidy looked up and saw Riddick walk out, closely followed by Johns. His eyes were goggled but it was clear he was looking at Cassidy.

"Oh, nothing," she said offhandedly. "I almost got eaten but other than that, all's well."

Riddick walked over to her and crouched down in front of her. "Let me see," he said quietly.

Cassidy held out her hands like a child being inspected before dinner. The skin had been very badly scraped was raw, red, bloody, and very sore. A few small pebbles were embedded in her flesh but Cassidy took no notice.

The muscular man took Cassidy's hands in his own. Riddick's large calloused hands dwarfed Cassidy's delicate ones. He studied her palms closely. "You might want to take those pebbles out," he said bluntly as he dropped her hands. "Where else?" Cassidy blinked at him. "I can smell the blood. Where else," his demand was firmer the second time.

Reaching behind her, Cassidy gently picked up her bandaged tail and brought it before Riddick. His goggled eyes went to the tail and then back to Cassidy's face. Riddick slowly began to unravel the makeshift dressings.

He was greeted by the sight of fur matted by blood, sand, and dirt. It was clear where the creature had bitten Cassidy. There were large concentrations of dried blood marking where its teeth had sunk into her flesh.

"Its not as bad as it looks," said Cassidy defensively as Riddick turned from the wound, eyebrows raised. "It stopped bleeding."

He shook his head and began to wrap it up again. "You'll have to wash it," he pointed out as he gently tied the knot.

"With what? I don't even have any saliva anymore."

Riddick stood up and grabbed a bottle from Paris. He thrust it as Cassidy. "Drink." It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command.

"No," she said defiantly, eyeing the bottle with disgust.

Cassidy could sense his anger as he crouched down again. "Drink," he repeated with more aggression. She didn't move. "It will help with the pain." Still nothing.

Riddick leaned in closer to her, their faces were inches apart and Cassidy felt her heart rate pick up speed again. She caught his scent, reeling from the pure masculinity of it.

"Drink, _please._" He had done it. Riddick had found her weak spot.It was a forced but there was just something about a man saying "please" that gotCassidy every time.

Reluctantly she took the bottle and drank deeply from it. The alcohol burned her throat but it felt so good to drink something again. Once she had finished Cassidy grimaced, handing the bottle back to Riddick who in turn threw it at Paris.

"Now," Riddick's deep voice was calm as he spoke. "Tell me what happened."

She gave a sigh and told him everything that had happened in the cave. The whole time she retold her story, no one spoke. Everyone just stood there, taking in every word she said. "So I tried to pull myself up the tunnel again and when I did the thing trying to hold me back shrieked and let go," Cassidy finished.

For a long moment no one said anything. Everyone was having the same morbid thoughts of the horrible creatures.

"What are we going to do," Cassidy's yellow eyes were focused on Riddick when she spoke.

Johns stepped forward and said, "We found a skiff in a little ghost town. We're bringing a power cell back there for a check and if its flight worthy we'll get off this rock." His voice was full of arrogance and it made Cassidy want to punch him again. "Let's go."

Everyone followed Johns into the ship where they began to gather equipment. Cassidy and Riddick were the only who remained in the hot desert sun. Cassidy was still sitting there while Riddick crouched in front of her.

"Why did you go down," he finally asked. "You said you could smell them so why did you go?"

For a long moment Cassidy stared at her reflection in the black goggles. "Johns," she finally said, looking away. "He gave me an ultimatum."

Riddick's anger showed in his facial expression. "What," he asked through clenched teeth. "Was the ultimatum?"

Cassidy didn't answer. Somehow, the thought of telling Riddick wasn't very appealing. She sat there examining her raw hands. One of Riddick's large hands cupped her chin, he gently tilted her head up so she was looking at him. Again, her heart started to hammer in her chest.

"What was the ultimatum," he asked softly.

There was a long silence before she whispered, "It was either you or me."

If he hadn't been wearing goggles, Cassidy would have seen Riddick's silver eyes flash dangerously. His hatred for Johns was intensified like a beam of sunlight through a magnifying glass. It was bad enough the merc had hit Cassidy over the head but this was unthinkable. Johns had nearly gotten her killed and what was more, he had used Riddick.

"Don't you ever," Riddick hissed, "choose my life over yours again. Promise me you won't do it." Cassidy lowered her eyes but Riddick's hand was still cupping her chin. He gave a small tug, demanding her attention. He shouted,"Promise me!"

Her owlish eyes returned to Riddick. "Only if you swear I won't get left behind." She had no clue where it had come from. It was as if a little voice deep inside of her had forced the words out

Riddick slowly nodded. "Alright, it's a deal."

He stood up and offered his hand to Cassidy who took it. With ease he pulled her up. Strangely, their hands seemed to linger momentarily on each other. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

"We're quite the pair you and I," Cassidy said with a smile. "We're both escapees with night vision and a shared loathing for Johns." With a light laugh, Cassidy walked off to join the others in the ship.

* * *

I love Riddick cause he's so delicous. Riddick-licous! I could have him everyday and my mom days that's okay! Riddick-licous.


	8. Staying Close

A/N: Sorry its been so long since my last update by the fic I'm writing with CosmicGirl22 is kind of time consuming. You should check it out… possibly review?

Thanks for your reviews! I'll now be accepting anonymous reviews as well, thanks to a tip. And now here's the chapter.

* * *

Every survivor from the crashed trooped through the desert, the three suns beating down on the violently. Cassidy's tail was till bandaged and throbbed from the pain but she managed to ignore it. She was walking ahead of everyone else, Johns on her heels. Everyone else followed the merc in uniform, Riddick taking the rear.

"You know," said Cassidy as she strolled along. "I don't know how it makes sense for the murderer to be in the back while the failed experiment has to have a gun on her as all times."

"I want to keep my eyes on you," Johns replied coldly.

_Keep your eyes on my ass is more like it, _she thought. All day she had caught Johns' roving eyes on her body and it wasn't the most comfortable feeling. Mercs weren't known for their kindness towards anything with breasts.

Relief washed over Cassidy when they finally reached the old settlement. The group huddled around the skiff. Riddick stood outside of the circle and Cassidy was quick to join him. Somehow she felt safe near the convict. Perhaps it was because Johns wouldn't try anything if Riddick were around.

"Did you happen to notice anything about the way Johns was acting." Cassidy's voice was hardly above a whisper.

Riddick turned his goggled eyes to her. "You mean did I happen to notice his eyes bulging out of his head at the sight of your ass?" Cassidy nodded. "Don't worry about it," he said forcefully. The finality in his words made Cassidy drop the subject completely.

"So what do you think happened here?" Cassidy's eyes skimmed over the old buildings. Nothing looked like it had been touched in years. "It looks like they all just vanished. Their stuff is still in generally where it should be."

Riddick nodded and stepped away from her, heading towards the ship. Cassidy watched as he moved to step up the ramp but Johns stopped him. Her ears pricked up and she listened to what was said.

"Whoa," Johns said quietly. "Why don't you go find some stuff we can patch this up with."

Before leaving Riddick turned his goggled eyes to Johns. The merc would have been dead in a heart beat if looks could kill. Wordlessly the convict turned and left Johns whose icy gaze turned to Cassidy.

For a long moment they stared at each other. Cassidy's eyes were full of hatred as were Johns' but the merc's eyes showed something else too. It could be lust?

Cassidy quickly turned and walked off in a random direction. Anywhere she went would be better than standing near Johns. He disgusted her and another minute with him would cause her to lose her lunch.

It didn't take long for Cassidy to learn every inch of the town, except for the coring room which was locked from the inside. She sighed and dropped down into the shade, closing her eyes and letting the sounds fill her ears.

There was the sound of clanking from Shazza's tools on a sandcat. Imam, two of his boys and Paris were tinkering with the water machine, while his other son played with Jack. Carolyn and Johns were talking in the skiff and Riddick was roaming around.

Cassidy stretched out in the cool sand in the shadow of the building. From where she lay she could see the skiff. Riddick sat beside it, shaving his head with some grease and a shiv. Cassidy smiled, knowing he wasn't supposed to have blades.

She stood up and was about to go talk to him when Johns emerged from inside the skiff. He was trembling as he walked down the ramp and leaned against the side of the small ship. Cassidy cringed at the sound of Johns heaving.

"Its not a good sign," Riddick said as he continued to shave. "Shaking like that in this heat."

Johns looked up and tried his best to keep his tough-guy act. "I thought I said no shivs."

Riddick looked to his blade. "This? This is just a personal grooming appliance."

Johns shook his head and walked away, entering a nearby building. Cassidy then approached Riddick. She sat down next to him in the shade of the skiff and looked out to the desert.

"Is Johns a…" she trailed off, not knowing how to put what she wanted to in words.

"A drug addict?" Riddick looked to Cassidy who nodded. "Its pain killers. He had a little run in with a convict he couldn't quite handle. Now he has a shard of metal rubbing against his spine."

"You missed the sweet spot," Cassidy asked turning her yellow eyes to him.

"The only time I've ever missed." Riddick's remark earned a half smile from the escaped science experiment. He stood up and put his blade away as he said, "I'm going to go have a little chat with our captain. Wait here."

Cassidy nodded and obediently stayed where she was. From inside the skiff she could hear their voices but not what they said. It kind of made her jealous to think of Riddick alone with Carolyn. She shook her head violently. _Don't even go there Cass. He's trouble and you know it._

The voices stopped and Riddick stepped out of the skiff. As he walked by he motioned for Cassidy to follow. Getting to her feet, she lingered just long enough to hear Carolyn storm off in the direction Johns went in.

For a while Cassidy and Riddick only walked around the town, Riddick ahead slightly. They stopped no and then while the muscular man examined something. Cassidy was being to think of him as Sherlock Holmes, only from the other end of the penal system.

"Why am I following you," she finally asked as Riddick crouched down to examine a pair of broken glasses.

His eyes never left the grit covered spectacles. "You can wander off but stick close." Riddick omitted the fact that he didn't trust Johns to be alone with Cassidy. The way the merc's eyes had been wandering lately suggested he might try something.

Cassidy shrugged and walked away. There was really nothing to do in the town and she had already seen everything it had to offer, which wasn't much. She wandered over to a little building and decided to go in.

The moment she entered the dark interior of the small building, she was regretting it. A red plastic box sat on a table and held enough morphine to numb a small army. Her owlish eyes, pupils large, turned to the man who sat against the wall.

Johns was staring at her with bleary eyes, his head lolling slightly. Cassidy's eyes reflected the light, giving them that shine that only nocturnal eyes can get.

"You know," Johns slurred ever so slightly as he stood up. "You're beautiful, even if you are a bitch."

Cassidy glared at him. She was about to retort but thought better of it. Instead she turned to leave but Johns grabbed her arm. He gave her a hard pull and Cassidy hit the wall.

Johns had her pinned and was now moving his face closer to hers. "Let me go," she breathed, trying to pull away from him. He ignore her request and began to smell her hair, his breath skimming over Cassidy's skin and giving her chills of disgust.

"I like feisty women." He pressed his body against hers. "And you're as feisty as they come."

Cassidy looked Johns in the eye, giving him a menacing glare. "Keep touching me and you'll see just how feisty I can get," she growled at him.

A smile played across Johns' lips. "Was that a threat, Foxy? If it was you only made me want you more."

Her eyes narrowed. Cassidy spat in Johns' face. Taken by surprise, he pulled back slightly. Johns glared at her and in a flash his hand was raised. Cassidy closed her eyes and braced herself for the moment his hand would collide with her face. It was as if she had been tossed back into her childhood to a time when her mother died and she was left wither father. When she would feel his heavy hand come down on her face on a daily basis. The moment of impact never came.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit women," a deep voice rumbled. Cassidy opened her eyes to see Riddick holding Johns' arm which was inches from her face. "I think you've caused enough damage, Johns."

The merc glared at the taller man. For a moment Cassidy thought he'd break Riddick's grip and hit her anyway but it seemed like Johns knew better. Her pulled his hand from Riddick before collecting his stuff and leaving.

The moment Johns was out the door, Cassidy lost her composure. She dropped to the floor and buried her face in her hands. Her yellow eyes didn't allow her to cry but Cassidy's body heaved with dry sobs.

Two strong arms wrapped around her and she was aware of someone crouching next to her on floor. Riddick pulled her close, his muscular arms encircling her. Cassidy rested her head on his broad chest. It felt so good, so right, and so safe to be in Riddick's arms. She almost laughed at the thought of feeling safe in the arms of a killer.

Riddick took in deep breaths of Cassidy's feminine and animalistic scent. His large hand ran through her hair. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, but she didn't cringe like she had with Johns.

Cassidy tilted her head back and her sad, yellow eyes peered into Riddick's silver ones. Their faces were dangerously close, their noses almost touching. For a long time they just sat there, looking at each other. Neither of them said a word, they didn't have to. Cassidy knew Johns wouldn't get the chance to try anything again, Riddick wouldn't let him.


End file.
